Sunday, 13 January 2013

French Traditions - Galette des Rois (King’s Tart)

Wow! It’s been forever since I posted anything I know! I somehow spent
the last two months in LaLa land between work, a bunch of Christmas projects,
way too much volunteering and… a new boyfriend! I don’t know why but every
holiday season, I have the urge to take on as much as I can more than I
can handle and end up having to pay the price. I feel like I’ve outdone myself
in that department this past year so I decided that 2013 would have to be about
me taking back control of my time including focusing on what is really
important for me and learning to say NO! Well, I can say that I already failed
and it’s only January 7 so I’m obviously going to need some practice.

Last Sunday was a traditional one for my family. We celebrate La Fête des Rois every year for a reason
I can’t remember but I know it’s a French tradition that marks the end of
Christmas. We bake an awesome cake, we hide a pea and a bean in it and whoever
gets the bean is the Queen for the day and the pea is for the King. When I was
a kid, my mom made those really fun crowns and we were so excited to know who
would get to wear them for the day! However, after my hectic last two months I
was thinking about skipping the tradition and since I didn’t have a vegan
recipe of the cake I had an easy way out. I’m sure you’ve already figured out
that I did make the cake of course! Lol
But, this is a really important but, this recipe is not from me… It’s from
my mom! Yes, that’s right. A few days after hearing that I was skipping the
tradition, my mom texted me saying she had been trying some recipes since 6 am
that day, trying to come up with a vegan cake that would taste just as good as
the original (I guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree!) and it turned
out to be even better! I have to say I’m really proud of my mom for trying to
learn more about veganism and healthy foods in general even if it sometimes hurt
to learn the truth. I love it when she talks to me about a new ingredient that
I don’t already know, or when she finds a new recipe book that I have to have.
I figured if I can only help 3 or 4 people making a change then I’m already
making a difference.

Ok so about the cake, I have to specify that it’s not a regular kind of
cake. We call it a Galette. It’s pretty much just bread with icing on it, and
that’s all we need. I have to say I’ve had 5 slices of it already (some would
argue that each slice I cut for myself already counts for 2) so I think I’m
just about ready to leave for the CAI (Cake Abuse Institution).

This cake seems like it’s a lot of work but it’s mostly just a lot of
waiting around (which I always love!). You’ll need a bread machine and a little
bit of patience for this recipe but not that much work at all.

Since it’s not my recipe, I feel like sharing with you the original
version in French and the English version
will follow.

1.Add all the ingredients to the bread machine
in the order above, except the bean and pea (and the crowns). Select dough mode
for the kneading process.

2. Coat the bowl
with olive oil. When the dough is ready, transfer in the bowl and rub it
against the sides to coat it and form a big ball. Cover with a plastic wrap and
let it sit for 20 minutes.

3. Punch the dough
in the center and transfer into a cake mold. Cover with a plastic wrap and
cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.

4. Pre-heat the oven a 375F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is
golden. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and cool off on a rack.

While the cake is cooling
down get the icing ready!

With a hand mixer,
mix de coconut oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until you get a creamy consistency.
Gradually add the icing sugar and almond milk. Continue mixing until you get a
thick icing. If you want different colors, divide the icing and add food
colorants of choice.

Once the cake is
cooled, turn over and add the bean and the pea. Ice it and decorate it!